Stepping Out - WIP

Stepping Out - 10.5 x 14.5

My sandhill crane is 'stepping out' and really looking good!! I am really excited with my picture but I must admit he has been a bit of a challenge. I started with his head and put touches of red for his distinctive coloring and then proceeded down his neck. I found I quickly needed to start on the background to develop the lighting on the edges. That's where my trouble began, my bulrushes were too small and they just didn't work. I decided to go out to the bird sanctuary and really look at the area and take more background pictures. It was a great idea as I realized I really didn't know what bulrushes and grasses looked like!! It was a good reminder to me that you need good pictures of your main image but also pictures of the environment that they live in.
We are off on a fishing trip for a few days and then I will be back at work on my crane. I want to enter it in a competition later next week.

The Old Master

The Old Master - Sold

This picture was designed to go with the previous picture "The Forest Floor". They are part of a commission I was working on. Again, it is working with forest scenes without a path but this one just seemed to paint itself. I think it is because of my stump, the old master. I have drawn this stump before in ink and I just love it. The stump sits by the trail up at Hicks Lake, a favourite camping spot when our kids were young. We spent many summers there and often walked around on the trails. This old master sat off to the side buried in ferns and moss. He must have been a grand old tree as he is huge and the sides bare the notch marks from the logging days of the early 1900's. I often wonder what changes he has seen and the stories he could tell. Even now, his life has changed again as he carries the load of new growth as the forest continues its cycle of rebirth. As I said earlier, this is a big favourite with me!

The Forest Floor

THE FOREST FLOOR - Sold

This picture is about one of my favourite subjects: trees. I love to draw the cedar and fir trees in our west coast forest. Working with my pens to create the bark is so much fine. Then of course adding ferns and foliage is just gravy. Sometimes I get such a neat picture with the ink I hate to add the watercolor. However once I get going I am glad I did. For this forest scene I was trying not to put in a path and see if I could make a good forest. It is meant to feel like you are on the path and this is what you see when you look out beyond the trail. I hope you enjoy my walk among the trees.

Breakfast Break Wins an Award

Very exciting news, Breakfast Break has won an award at the artSpacifc show in Delta, BC. I just learned today that my little sandhill crane (3 x 4 inches) has won an award in the 'works on paper' category. This has definitely made my day.

If you would like to see the show it is at the Firehall Centre 11489 84 Av, Delta, BC, May 3-May 26 and viewing hours are Mon-Fri 10-4:30pm, Tues.6-9pm and Sat. 10-4pm.